What's in a Name? (Part 2)

In May I did a blog about names, how my students pick his/her English name, how I pick them etc. I mentioned I have a Korean name, Han Solo, and my ability to write this on the board in Korean is always well received. But I realized too late that I didn't tell you about the funniest name story EVER, hence, why I must revisit this topic.

There I was, talking to Nick and Joel, and we were talking about chicken, I'm not sure why, but it come up more frequently than you'd think. And you know how people influence you in ways you're not entirely aware of? Well, I've found I say 'chickaaaaa' because I have a cousin who says it like that. A few years back Jello and Gassy Gus came to the states and we had a jolly ol' time traipsing about the west, and Gassy Gus calls chicken, chickaaaa. I guess it stuck.

Side note: when Angelos and Kostas came to Utah, I just called Kostas 'Gus,' because, after all, it's his name. I'd been calling him this for a week before he asked me why. Apparently he didn't know it was the proper translation of Kostas and assumed I was just arbitrarily calling him Gus.

Anyway, back on point, Nick and Joel ask me why I say 'chickaaa' and I told them I have a silly cousin named Gus who says it like that. Every time I said 'Gus' the boys would snicker and avert their eyes, which of course made me wonder... So I asked, 'Hey, what does Gus mean in Korean?' And they couldn't stop laughing.

Finally Nick (or Joel, I can't remember who) points at his pants and blushes. 'Uh, what?' I ask. He said, 'You know teacher...' and just points again. 'It's a body part? For boys or girls?' Apparently the exact translation for Gus is wiener. That's right, there, in the middle of class, I had inadvertently talked about wieners to my 11 year old boys! Well, at least I made this blunder with my boy students and not the girls!

None other than Konstantinos himself, showing off, as usual, after we went to a shooting range in southern California.